Tending to the Crowd
by Triscribe
Summary: Kaldur's worked as the bartender of the Secret Cave for a while now, and often finds himself listening to the troubles of others - but this new group of friends are liable to give him a headache every night of the week... Non-powered college AU.
1. Chapter 1

_Inspired in part by Lady Antebellum's song Bartender, which is definitely worth a listen._

Chapter 1

If Kaldur had to choose the point in his life that things took a decidedly odd turn, it would have been the moment that a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with short black hair sat at his bar and ordered a shot of whiskey.

Merely raising an eyebrow at her exasperated expression and choice of drink, Kaldur nonetheless complied, sliding the shot glass in front of her a few moments later. The woman downed it in one go, calling for another before she'd even set the empty glass back on the glossy surface of the bar.

It wasn't until he'd served some other customers and the woman had gone through her third whiskey, thankfully more slowly than the first, that some light was shed upon her situation. "My friends," she said in a low voice, with all the certainty of the ocean tide, "Are idiots."

"You'd be surprised how little that one comes up in here." Kaldur answered her in his usual mild tone, idling wiping up spills from the bar top. "Usually people complain of their family, or significant others."

"Oh, believe me, I've got plenty to complain about on _that_ particular score, but it's my friends that are the trouble at the moment." She set to explaining. "Either they're too busy arguing or dancing around the issue at hand to notice each is interested in the other, or they've got older problems getting in the way of making something good for themselves."

"I take it you have a lot of friends."

The woman let out a short bark of a laugh. "Eh. It's really just the three ladies I'm close to, but I've been around most of the boys long enough to see the obvious problems, even when none of them do." Frowning at her empty shot glass, the woman reluctantly sighed and asked for a glass of water rather than more liquor. Kaldur happily complied.

"My name's Raquel, by the way. Raquel Ervin."

"Kaldur Ahm." He briefly excused himself to serve another customer, then returned to his conversation with Raquel. "If they all seem to be having so much trouble with seeing what is in front of their very faces, are you inclined to assist matters or let them lie where they are?"

The noise that she released was an odd cross between a sigh and a groan. "I want, very much, to let the morons figure things out for themselves, but that's just going to make my life harder in the long run, and I've got _more_ than enough problems of my own."

"Yes, you mentioned having plenty of things to complain about earlier."

Her face flickered through several varied emotions, almost too fast for him to follow: anger, grief, frustration, and finally a dull sort of acceptance. "You really wanna know?"

"I do if you are inclined to talk about it." And to be honest, he was. Part of being a good bartender was putting up with customers talking about their lives, but Kaldur often found himself genuinely wanting to listen and help however he could.

"I'm a single mom. My boyfriend walked out on me five years ago 'cause he didn't want to keep the baby, and most of my family stopped talking to me afterward thanks to my decision to go through with the pregnancy."

"I'm sorry. None of that can have been easy."

"It hasn't, but having a few good people on my side has really helped. Anyway, I had to give up on college for a while to take care of my son, but now I'm back with scholarship money to get my graduate degree in robotics."

"That is a lucrative field right now - anything in particular you're trying to pursue?" Immediately, Raquel launched into an expansive explanation of her studies and work, trying to improve the unmanned drones and spaceships set upon exploring their solar system. Frequently, Kaldur had to step away to tend to his other customers at the bar, but he kept returning to the spot across from the space-robotics scientist who had no end in sight to her goals and dreams. Eventually, though, she did manage to reach the end of her subject, and unexpectedly turned the discussion on its head.

"So, what about you, Mister Ahm? Is dealing with tipsy and drunk bar patrons to be your lot in life, or are you looking to other ventures?" She leant forward to rest her chin on a curled hand, watching him inquisitively. It took a moment for Kaldur to adjust to the topic switch.

"Well, that's a long story in and of itself." He paused for a moment, considering the pain this woman had been through, and decided his own was of a close enough level that he was inclined to share. "I had been in the midst of gaining a degree in marine biology, but chose to halt my education in order to work full time to support my girlfriend when her own funding was cut off. After a few months or so, she left me with no warning, eloping with most of our savings and... and my former best friend." It had been nearly two years, and still the pain of Tula abandoning him for Garth burned deep, no matter how much Kaldur tried to forget.

Raquel's eyes had gone wide as she looked at him with an odd expression. Seconds later, both her hands reached across the bar to grasp his own. "Kaldur, I am so sorry. No one deserves to feel that kind of betrayal, least of all someone as kind-hearted as you."

He felt his lips twitching in a helpless smile. "I should point out, you have not known me nearly long enough to deal out such compliments." Raquel merely shrugged, her hands retreating back across the top of the glossy bar, and leaving Kaldur's feeling oddly cold.

"Hey, anyone willing to put his future on hold like that, especially for someone who ended up being _so_ not worthy of it, is as kind as it gets."

"I suppose it takes one to know one." He replied with a small grin, which got Raquel to smile widely in response. They ended up in a conversation about the local university, the scope of the offered courses, the recent expansion efforts thanks to generous donations from businessmen like Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen, and eventually to the kinds of people Kaldur met during work hours.

"Mostly students, as you can easily imagine." He said. "Quite a few members of the upper class, surprisingly enough. We aren't close enough to the southern residential district or the shipping docks to get very much in the way of poor workers and drunks, which I for one am grateful for."

Raquel snickered. "Yeah, somehow I can't see you being happy about stepping out here to chuck out any unruly patrons. Though, that's _not_ to say I don't think you could do it." She'd eyed his lean frame with an appreciative look that had Kaldur struggling to contain a blush.

"Indeed. My black belt certainly helps, though."

"Karate?"

"Tae Kwon Do, actually."

"Color me impressed. I joined the Krav Maga movement as a teen, myself..." From there, they discussed the positives and drawbacks of various martial arts forms, until it became late enough that Raquel had to leave.

"I left Amistad, my son, with some friends tonight, but I need to be at their apartment bright and early tomorrow morning in order to pick him, which definitely _isn't_ going to happen if I stay here any longer." She began to rise and pull out the money to pay off her tab, before pausing to glance anxiously at Kaldur. "Are you going to be working here again this week?"

"Every night but Wednesday." He answered with a small smile, which Raquel returned.

"I'll be back sometime to see you, then."

"I look forward to it."

-TC-

The next night was Friday, and as usual had a much bigger crowd than that of Thursday, but that didn't stop Kaldur from noticing the instant Raquel walked in the front door, arm in arm with a pale woman with midnight black hair. Approaching the bar, neither of the pair looked up from their hushed conversation until they seated themselves on the high stools.

"Kaldur!" Raquel grinned slyly as he approached, making the man equal parts joyful and nervous. He wasn't entirely sure what all was entailed within that smile, but at least some of it was bound to be other than good... "This is one of the friends I mentioned, Zatanna Zatara."

The second woman eyed her with an arched eyebrow. "Rocky, have you been telling tales out of school?"

"You could say that. I was just talking to Kal here last night about the problems some mutual acquaintances of ours seem to be having when it comes to getting over themselves and just asking someone out."

"Ah." Zatanna nodded in understanding. "I tried again yesterday with getting Artemis to admit that she likes Wally, but nothing I say manages to get through to that girl."

"In my experience," Kaldur smoothly stepped in, getting the drinks Raquel asked for, "Repeatedly telling someone the same thing over and over tends to make them tune it out whenever the same subject is brought up again."

"Very true." A call from the far end of the bar took up Kaldur's attention for several minutes - the private room at the rear of the establishment had been rented out again for a private party, and he needed to prepare a dozen drinks of varying ingredients for them. By the time he was able to return to the pair of ladies, the two of them had both gained a calculating expression.

"So, Kaldur- may I call you Kaldur?" Zatanna asked him.

"Of course."

"Cool. So, if you were going to try and force someone to realize how much they were crushing on somebody else, how would you go about it?"

"To start, you are using the term 'force' - never a good idea when attempting to help a relationship get started. If, indeed, it is a relationship that is desired. I would recommend a subtle approach, such as getting the intended targets to go on group outings where they will spend time in each others' company, and begin to create opportunities for the two of them to be left alone together."

"Don't you just love the way he talks?" Raquel murmured to her friend before meeting Kaldur's bemused gaze. "Good idea, except there's just one problem: these two people argue with each other just about every time they're in the same room, regardless of who else is around."

"Ah. Perhaps, in that case, it would be a better idea for them to meet at public events, or some similar environment where to cause a scene would get them removed by officials?"

"They would still fight wi- ohh, I see." Tapping the side of her nose in an exaggerated gesture, Zatanna winked at him. "Get the both of them dumped outside together, when they've got no one to blame but themselves, and then see what happens, right?"

"Precisely."

"I gotta admit, Rocky, you were so right about coming to talk to this guy."

"Mm-hm, I told you girl. Now, Kal, what would you recommend for a girl who's been best friends with a guy for the better part of a decade-"

"Oh no you don't." Kaldur was hard pressed to contain his snort as Zatanna clapped a hand over Raquel's mouth. "I happen to quite like my relationship with Dick, thank you very much, and I'm not doing _anything_ that might screw it up."

Still blocked from talking, the dark skinned woman simply rolled her eyes at Kaldur.

"Not interested in any advice for yourself, I take it?" He asked dryly. Zatanna hesitated for a moment, conflict clear in her eyes, before giving in to the need to explain.

"Look, Richard and I have been good friends since we were pre-teens, and while we've joked around sometimes about having getting serious with each other, we just... Haven't. We're friends, we go on dates with other people, commiserate when things don't work out-"

"Moon over the other constantly when they're going out with someone else." Raquel finally managed to free herself. "After the meltdown Artemis told me you nearly had over his dating Barbara again, don't you dare try and say you don't have feelings for the guy."

"I do!" Zatanna burst out. "But, I don't want to lose what we have if it doesn't work out."

"If I may...?" Kaldur spoke quietly, interrupting them. "Preserving what you have now may be good, but that also means potentially missing out on something better. Don't be afraid to enter into a deeper relationship, especially if you talk to him about your fears beforehand." The younger woman looked contemplative at his words.

He had to step away again after that, refilling the drinks for the private party, returning some minutes later to find that Zatanna had gone, while Raquel was smirking.

"She left to go visit Dick's apartment." She answered his silent question. "You, my friend, are a wonder of relationship advice."

"I will admit, working here has given me ample opportunity to learn what works and what doesn't."

"Mm." The smirk settled into something more relaxed as Raquel spent the next several minutes merely observing the man as he went about his tasks as bartender. Eventually, the time again came for her depart, and the woman paid of her bill, blowing back a kiss to Kaldur as she went out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Saturday evening was surprisingly slow, though the inconsistent rainfall that had been going on all day had Kaldur surmising that folks had decided an evening in was more called for. So, it was rather startling when a blonde woman suddenly stomped into the bar out of the drizzle, a tired looking redhead trailing after her.

"Beer, please. Budweiser." The blonde ordered as she sat at the bar, wringing some of the water from her ponytail. "Megan? You want anything?"

"Oh! Um... Lemonade?"

"It's a bar, Meg. I wouldn't have dragged you out here just to get something you could have had at the campus dining hall." The first woman rolled her eyes.

"Alright... I'll have a martini, please."

"Coming right up." Kaldur set the glasses in front of them, but before he could step away the blonde called for his attention again.

"You're Kaldur Ahm, right? My friend Raquel's been talking about you the last couple of days."

"Has she?" He wasn't sure whether to feel flattered, or worried, especially given the way that the woman was eyeing him.

"Yeah. Do me a favor, don't keep up the nice guy act just to keep her as a customer - after the hell she's been through, Raquel deserves better than that."

Taken aback, it was several moments before Kaldur could formulate a response. "I can assure you, miss..."

"Crock. Artemis Crock."

"Miss Crock, I am not putting on any sort of act for Miss Ervin - she is a charming woman who has engaged me in some wonderful conversations for the last two evenings, and I would not dare do anything to add to her burdens: raising a child while gaining an advanced education is hard enough."

Artemis' eyebrows climbed steadily higher through his small speech, and Kaldur felt a subdued sense of satisfaction at her new expression.

"Well. Alright then." She nodded to him slightly, raising her glass to take a sip. "Just so long as we're clear."

"What kinds of things have you talked about with Raquel?" The other young woman, Megan, asked curiously. Kaldur didn't see Artemis' glare of warning until it was too late.

"A fair amount of topics involving the university, though last night was mostly about relationship advice." As soon as the words had left his mouth, the man knew they had been a bad idea. Megan's eyes filled with tears, and her shoulders started to shake with silent sobs. Artemis was off of the stool and standing by her friend's side almost instantly.

"Aw, hell, Meg, you've got to stop beating yourself up about this-"

"B-but it was _my f-fault!"_ The tears began to spill then, as Kaldur hurriedly reached for the box of tissues he kept beneath the bar top. "If I h-hadn't-"

"You don't know that." Artemis tried to sooth her, to no avail. The shorter woman was in a full blown meltdown. Silently, Kaldur handed over the entire box, which Artemis gratefully accepted. Other customers were shooting them various looks, so with a sigh, Kaldur got one of the waiters to take over for him behind the bar as he guided both women into the private room, closing the door firmly.

"I have no wish to pry if it is not wanted," he said quietly as Megan's crying began to slow. "But if there is any way in which I can offer my assistance...?"

Artemis sighed. "Well, you started this up again by mentioning advice on relationships, so maybe you can use some of the same to help her out." With occasional interjections from her friend, the woman began to tell him how Megan and her boyfriend Connor had been together for years, until the previous spring when a heated argument between the two. Forever trying to keep on top of their lives and make things easier for the other, Megan had developed a habit of going through Connor's personal mail and other belongings. After discovering this and repeatedly telling her to stop, he finally ended the relationship, and no amount of attempted reconciliation on Megan's part had gotten him to forgive her. Weeks of constant trying did nothing to change their new status, so she'd grown angry and given up. In the months since then, the two had often met under various circumstances for school or with other friends, and despite tempers having cooled, neither was willing to take a risk and talk to the other about repairing their relationship.

"I'm sorry for reacting like that, but when you brought it up, I just- I just couldn't stop myself." Megan said with a sniffle. Kaldur gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder, smiling in sympathy.

"Please do not feel bad about it. Believe me, I've seen much worse outbursts in here over the years." He managed to win a tentative smile from her, at least. "To be frank, though, I think that this is an intolerable situation, one that should be resolved regardless of the eventual outcome. Suffering for the sake of leaving things be is never healthy." Kaldur tried to keep his words soft and gentle, and managed to keep Megan from bursting into further tears. A few minutes more of soothing from both himself and Artemis, and the woman declared herself sufficiently recovered.

The pair reclaimed their drinks as Kaldur retreated to his usual position behind the bar, and after a while the ladies decided to return to their dorm hall. "We'll try to come back sometime." Artemis promised.

"Take care, Kaldur!" Megan called back as she stepped through the door.

"And yourselves as well." He answered, debating getting his own drink to combat the rising levels of stress that came with dealing with Raquel's friends. It wasn't that he minded, but so far, the three consecutive nights of mixed emotions were beginning to wear him down, just a bit.

Little did he know that the worst was yet to come...

-TC-

Kaldur got to meet another of Raquel's friends the next night, when Artemis returned dragging a muscular young man with dark hair behind her.

"Kal, this is Richard Grayson. Dick, this is Kaldur, so you get to talk to _him_ about Zatanna while I go finish my physics homework. 'Night!" And with that, the blonde disappeared back out the door, leaving a bemused Kaldur glancing at the sheepish young man.

"Um... Hi. Guess I don't really need to bother introducing myself now..." Dick mumbled, rubbing a hand across his face. "So, apparently you're the local love expert."

"Apparently." Kaldur agreed. "Am I to take it that you've been deposited here to receive supposed expertise?"

"Yep." Settling down on a nearby bar stool, Dick cautiously asked for a pale ale, and waited for a few minutes until Kaldur finished his other orders before speaking up. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions for how to go about turning a best friend into a girlfriend, do you?"

"A few. To start, don't think you need to change any of what you are doing. Zatanna mentioned when I met her that you two frequently do things together and with friends such as shopping or going to school events, correct?"

"Yeah, but those aren't things I typically do with the girlfriends I've had."

"Women who you are no longer with." Kaldur pointed out, earning a mumbled agreement. "Then keep doing them with Zatanna, gradually adding in activities that the both of you think ought to be in a relationship." Dick nodded in agreement, his eyes taking on a calculating expression as he no doubt began to concoct ideas for future dates and outings.

It being a quiet Sunday night, Kaldur didn't have many other customers to attend to, so he was able to spend a fair amount of time with the younger man as they discussed a variety of topics. As it turned out, despite being a mere twenty one years old, Dick was in his second to last term before completing a dual degree in computer science and business. His foster father ran a large company, it seemed, and the young man was interested in working more closely with some of the different departments.

"I mean, my siblings and I would have inherited the lot _anyway,_ but I want to know what's going on and what I can do to help." He explained with his second drink, to Kaldur's thoughtful agreement. "My friend Roy, he was in a similar position - adopted by a billionaire, wanted to do more than just sit in an office and be informed of the business progress. He was going to college here too, wanted to complete the courses in business management, and sports and recreation. Ended up going south for him, poor guy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He was dating a girl, they got a little too frisky, baby comes along and he wants to do the right thing. His dad cut him off, so Roy had to use up his savings to finish his last year of classes. Now, he coaches some different kids sports teams while his wife works so they can make ends meet. And I know just how stubborn the moron can be when it comes to getting help, but the two of them together are, like, the ultimate teaming up of the immovable object and unstoppable force. If they're agreed on something, like _not_ accepting perfectly good money from friends, then it's not happening." Kaldur couldn't help the slight snicker at Dick's annoyed expression. "You want to know the weirdest thing, though? His wife is Artemis' older sister, and they actually know Raquel through mutual babysitting."

"A small world indeed."

Dick slapped a hand over each ear. "Please tell me you didn't just say that. Dang it, Kaldur, I'm going to have that song stuck in my head for _hours_ now. _So_ not asterous."

"Excuse me?" The bartender asked, a little concerned he may have given Dick a stronger drink than he'd intended.

"Asterous. Opposite of dis-asterous." A sheepish grin accompanied his words. "English was my second language growing up, so when I was a kid I messed around with a lot of prefixes, seeing what other meanings I could get from different words."

"Ah. I see." Kaldur did not add the phrase _I think?_

"Yeah, it was weird. My little brothers and sister were all pretty happy when I stopped. My foster dad, too. And our butler. And most of my friends..." Now the younger man did win a chuckle from Kaldur, smirking at his victory. "Hey, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"If I drag my friend Wally here some night, or get Roy to do the dragging, could you work some of your magic and get him to think about dating Artemis? We've all been trying to-"

Kaldur cut him off with a sigh. "I am willing to do what I can, but you are not the first person to mention this dilemma to me. You and the others all seem inclined to think this pair would do well together, but being pushed into it from so many directions at once may be the very thing causing Artemis and this Wally to dig their heels in and resist." Dick pondered over that for a while.

"You may have a point." He eventually said. "I'll pass that along. Thanks, Kaldur."

"Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Monday night, the redheads appeared. The one in front was green eyed and freckle faced, grinning from ear to ear as he entered. The latter was a bit older, with blue eyes and a deep scowl as he trailed after his companion. Wondering when he would finally see the end of the stream of people coming to talk to him that Raquel had set in motion, Kaldur quickly took their orders and delivered a pair of beers.

"Hey, Roy, y'mind hanging here for a minute?" The younger of the two asked. "I'm gonna go hit on those chicks in the corner." A grunt was his only reply, before he slipped off the barstool and threaded his way through the room.

"Please tell me you have something behind that bar capable of knocking sense into people." Roy suddenly asked him causing Kaldur to chuckle lightly.

"A do have a baseball bat somewhere around here, but I'm not entirely sure you'd want to use that."

"Maybe not just yet, but if the kid idiot gets any more on my nerves tonight, I might just ask to borrow it." The man took a gulp of his drink. "Hey, you're Kaldur right? Some mutual acquaintances of ours have been talking about your 'magic' all week."

"Yes. I'm still not entirely sure how that happened."

Roy snorted. "You don't know these kids like I do. If one of them discovers something they think is cool, the other's usually know in a matter of hours. Be happy they haven't swarmed you all at once." Eyes widening slightly, Kaldur nodded as he could picture how disastrous such a thing could have been. "So, if my sources are right, it was Raquel who originally got you into this, right? How the hell did that happen?"

So, with a sigh, the bartender explained about the previous Thursday, including his admission about Tula and Garth. After hearing Dick explain about Roy's past, Kaldur decided he was trustworthy enough to know.

In the end, Roy responded much the same way Raquel did, though in a more blunt manner. "That stinks, man. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. It is not many who can be as honorable as you have been."

"Eh? Oh, you mean with Jade and Lian? ...It's not like I could have left them alone, no matter what the hell my dad thought about social class and 'moving towards a brighter future' and all that crap. I mean... I love her. Both of them. Maybe not at first, but I do now."

Kaldur smiled at him. "As I said. Honorable."

Roy started to make a noise of disagreement, but right then his friend returned and distracted the older man.

"What's the matter, Wally? Struck out with the ladies yet again?"

"Shut up." The younger redhead mumbled, reclaiming his former seat.

"Y'know, I keep hearing from a bunch of people that you and my sister in law-"

"Roy, I'm warning you." Wally growled, a darkly irritated expression flashing across his face. Kaldur decided a bit of intervention did in indeed seem to be needed.

"I have to wonder, after meeting Artemis, why everyone keeps saying you two would make a good couple." He mused, instantly getting Wally's attention.

"Wait, what? When did you meet her?"

"She and a friend came in here Saturday night. And, I think I must applaud your sense in not going near the woman - she has enough flirting attempts to deal with."

Wally's jaw dropped while Roy blinked in startlement. "She- there's- Arty's been getting hit other by other guys?!"

"Nah, I don't believe it."

"If you have doubts, then may I suggest coming here on the same night she does? Then you would be able to see for yourself." And if they started arguing in the middle of his bar, Kaldur could get the two to leave together, in accordance with his suggestion to Raquel and Zatanna.

"I might just do that." Wally scowled. "Show those guys why it's a bad idea to-"

"Flirt with the girl you still deny having a crush on?" Roy asked dryly, causing the younger man's face to go as red as his hair.

"Of course not!" He snapped. "Just, just show them why it's a bad idea to hit on a girl with a heart of stone."

Kaldur had to stifle a grin as a new idea came to him. "Heart of stone? I should hardly think so, after I lost almost an entire box of tissues to her last Saturday. Oh, please excuse me." He timed his stepping away perfectly - as Kaldur began to take and serve drink orders further down the bar, he could see out of the corner of his eye Roy attempting to restrain Wally from jumping up and going after whoever had supposedly made Artemis cry. The bartender had no intention of explaining what had actually happened the previous Saturday, hence why he busied himself elsewhere until Roy finally gave up, allowing his friend to race from the bar.

When Kaldur eventually did return to the remaining redhead, the other man eyed him suspiciously. "Arty wasn't really crying her eyes out in here, was she?"

"No. I gave her the tissues for her friend Megan, who was having a small breakdown." Roy sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at the front door. Then he burst out laughing.

"You do realize, he's going to run straight to her dorm, nearly bang the door down with his knocking, and demand to know what happened only for her to sock him across the jaw?"

Kaldur cringed slightly. "Ah. I'd hoped he would merely call her or something similar."

"I'm not sure that kid ever actually thinks about using his phone when he's in a panic." Roy smirked. "Don't worry about it, though - I'll make sure he doesn't come back to yell at you for it or anything."

"That would be much appreciated, my friend." Roy tipped his head with a slight smile, pulling out his wallet to pay for the drinks.

-TC-

One thing that Kaldur was good at, out of necessity for his job, was being able to spot trouble before it happened. A dark haired, wide-shouldered young man with a fierce scowl who entered late on Tuesday night looked like he fit the bill exactly. When he took a seat at the bar, the man ordered whiskey, and bluntly told Kaldur to leave the bottle. Over the next hour, he slowly downed the entire thing under the bartender's concerned gaze.

As other customers began to trickle out, the dark haired man remained, hunched over on his seat while moodily tracing patterns in the polished woodgrain of the bartop. Waving away his couple of concerned servers, Kaldur let them know he'd handle this if it became a problem.

"Are you alright there?" He asked softly, approaching the customer.

"...I don't get it." Pausing, Kaldur listened closely for the man's surprisingly quiet words. "She didn't stop when I asked her, and when I finally stopped trying, she acted like the whole thing was _my_ fault." The hand not tracing patterns clenched in an angry fist. "Megan never even said she was sorry."

Realizing that he had another Raquel's friends with a love issue on his hands, Kaldur settled into a comfortable stance as he leaned against the bar. He was getting lots of practice at addressing those lately, it would seem.

"Possibly because she never saw it as something to be sorry about." His words, spoken in as subdued a manner as possible, still caused the man's face to darken further.

"Going through all of my stuff when I wasn't at home? Even after I wanted her to stop? Right."

"How large is your family?"

The man blinked at him. "What?"

"How large is the family you grew up with?"

"...It was just me and my mom until I was sixteen. She died, and then I went to live with my father. I visit my grandparents in Kansas sometimes, but no one else."

"How large was Megan's?"

"A lot bigger than mine. She's got eight siblings, and a few dozen cousins in the same town."

"Then would it stand to reason the two of you have very different ideas of acceptable privacy levels?" Through the haze of the alcohol, Kaldur could see the gears turning in the man's head.

"I... I guess so."

"Was there also anything going on at the time that would cause her to be afraid of something happening that could destroy your relationship?"

Again, the man thought deeply before responding. "Cassie. Megan was afraid I'd leave her for Cassie, because we were spending so much time together on the engineering project. But I wouldn't have! Megan's the only one I love."

"Love or loved?"

"Both. I've never been with anyone else. I always thought she was the one..." He trailed off, staring down at the bartop once again. "I don't know what to do now. I've been so angry at her for all this time... I'm not sure how to come back from that."

"Start by just talking - letting her know how you feel and why it bothered you so much, as well as asking if she is truly sorry."

"Okay. Thanks." He started to stand, paused, then sank back down onto the barstool. "Um. I don't think it's a good idea for me to drive anywhere right now."

"Well, at least you're honest enough to recognize that fact." Kaldur said with a hint of amusement. "Do you have a phone to call someone to come get you?" With overdue caution, as if he was afraid of squeezing too tightly and breaking it, the man pulled out a older flip phone, and proceeded to try to pull up his contacts list without much success. Eventually he huffed out an annoyed sigh, and pushed the thing across the bartop to Kaldur, who asked if there was anyone in particular he wanted called. A noncommittal shrug was his answer, before the man slowly dropped his head down with a solid _thunk._

Opening through the list, Kaldur stopped and dialed the number of the first name he recognized. "Hello, Artemis? No, this isn't Conner, it's Kaldur Ahm at the Secret Cave... Indeed. Fortunately, he realized it as well before attempting to leave. Mm-hm. That's fine... This might actually be a good time for it, considering that's what he and I were just speaking of. Alright. I'll be waiting here until you come, then. Goodbye." By the time he ended the call, Conner had officially zoned out. Kaldur wasn't sure he'd registered or even heard a word of the phone call.

About thirty minutes later, there was a tentative knock on the locked front door of the bar. Kaldur went to open it again, admitting a very nervous Megan, who slowly walked over to where Conner was still slumped against the bar. Remaining out of the way, Kaldur didn't have long to wait before the two were departing together, the petite woman helping to support Conner stumbling form as they left.

With as much heartfelt emotion he'd seen from the pair, Kaldur sincerely hoped that things worked out between them, either in restoring their relationship or at least reaching a point where each could move on.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Wednesday. Never had the word sounded so good in Kaldur's mind. No job, no responsibilities, just him and a day to relax, which was needed even more than usual after this last week. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the conversations with Raquel and her friends, but they'd left him decidedly more drained than usual. After a morning spent sleeping in and finishing up the chores around his apartment by noon, Kaldur decided to go on a walk through the park near campus, maybe even swing by the beach on his way back. The exercise would do him some good, as well as spending time outdoors.

Happy Harbor was one of those places too large to really be called a town, but not quite big enough to be considered a true city. For many years, the fishing and lumber industries had been the settlement's lifeblood, before the University opened up and started attracting new groups of people. Now there were factory and dockworkers, but also college students and graduates, young families just getting started, and more than a few corporations looking to set up offices in the expanding town. Wayne Enterprises was one of the bigger ones, which, after speaking to Dick the other night about nudging his foster father into the idea, Kaldur could understand.

As he headed through the quiet, grassy park, the man mused over the varied backgrounds of the people he'd come to be acquainted with this week, amazed at how they'd all managed to find friends in the others. He'd always been a bit of a loner growing up, in another seaside town where everyone you met had pretty much the same story going back generations.

He was still thinking about it when Kaldur realized someone was calling his name.

Turning to look at a nearby park bench, his eyebrows went up at the sight of Raquel, Roy and an olive-skinned woman with a mane of black hair all looking at him.

"I'm not sure whether to laugh or groan at seeing you both again." He said honestly as he approached. Raquel grinned at that, while Roy smirked and the other woman rolled her eyes, before reaching forward to shake hands with him.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister Ahm. I'm Jade, Red's wife." Her grip was strong, with calluses on her hand indicating the hard work she'd done for many a year.

"A pleasure, and please, call me Kaldur." He returned easily. "May I assume the three of you are out to enjoy the pleasant weather as well?"

"Well, really, we're out to let the kids run around and expend some of their energy," Raquel explained.

"Makes our jobs easier come tonight when it's time to tuck the little buggers in- _oof!"_ Kaldur was hard pressed to hold in a laugh at Roy's expression when Jade drove an elbow into his gut. The woman's expression remained cheerful, but he could see the mixed spark of annoyance and mischievousness in her eyes.

"Yes, it is a nice day, isn't it?" Jade replied genially as her husband rubbed at his new sore spot. This time Kaldur did chuckle, though he was soon overtaken by childish screams fast approaching.

" _MO-OM!"_ A young boy ran right up to Raquel, desperately trying to clamber into her lap. "Make Lian stop chasing me!" Racing after her came a smaller girl, grinning wickedly as she held something in her dirt-staineded hands.

"Daddy! Mommy! I caughts a wormy!" The ginger-haired toddler looked exceptionally proud of herself as she stopped before he parents. "Can I keep it?"

"Sure, sweetheart!" Roy exclaimed before Jade had a chance to say otherwise. He leaned forward from the bench, prompting Lian to listen intently as he stage-whispered to her. "But wouldn't you rather put it down Amistad's shirt?" The toddler's grin turned wicked as she swung her eyes over to look at the grossed out boy, who promptly clung closer to his mother.

"Oh, I hardly think that's fair to the worm, though." Kaldur thought it best to intervene before was yelled at by the glowering women. He crouched down to be closer to Lian's eye level. "I think a better idea would be to use something that couldn't get hurt." She considered it for a moment, then nodded and took off, presumably to go exchange the worm for some handfuls of mud. At Kaldur's expectant look, Amistad used the opportunity to depart from Raquel's lap and flee in the opposite direction. As soon as both the kids were out of earshot, all four adults burst out laughing.

Jade was the first to recover. "Honestly, Roy, you can never say no to that girl."

"Which is why I diverted her with the other suggestion."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Raquel snorted. "My kid's got enough of an issue with bugs as it is, I don't need you or yours helping."

"Sorry, Rocky. But! At least kind Mr. Ahm was around to help, right, Kaldur?"

"Glad to be of service." He said with a bemused smile. "Now, I don't want to interrupt your afternoon any further-"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Sit down and stay for a while." Raquel scooted down the bench, nudging Roy and Jade into doing so as well as they cleared a little more space for Kaldur to sit. He resisted blushing at the close proximity that put him into with Raquel, but gingerly took a seat anyway. As the parents continued to keep an eye on their respective offspring, running around the grassy area, they started engaging him in conversation about various local happenings. It wasn't until nearly half an hour had gone by that Jade thought to bring up the advice he'd been giving to their mutual friends.

"Sounds like you could really have used this man's help when we were dating, Roy." She teased the redhead after Kaldur ran through his explanations.

"Hey, I'm just happy with where we ended up." Both Kaldur and Raquel found themselves looking elsewhere as the married couple kissed. It was around that time that Amistad reappeared, a sleepy looking Lian clinging to his hand. The Harpers found themselves departing a little earlier than expected, taking their toddler home for a nap before she started pitching a fit.

"Will you push me on the swings, Mom?" Amistad asked with the pitiful expression all children seemed to master by his age. Raquel laughed, standing, and headed towards the nearby swingset with her son as Kaldur found himself trailing along after. He somehow ended up doing the pushing, sending Amistad a bit higher into the air more easily than his mother could manage. The boy was delighted to have someone new playing with him, and then proceeded to drag Kaldur around with him on all of the playground equipment. Standing off to one side, Raquel watched them with an odd expression on her face.

"Oh, you're so lucky to have a husband willing to play with his son like that." A middle-aged woman said as she was passing by. Eyes widening with a start, Raquel swung around to correct her, but the stranger had already moved on.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The evening after his pleasant time spent with Raquel and Amistad, Kaldur was working once again at the bar, refreshed and ready to tackle whatever came his way that night.

How naive of him.

Around nine, Dick arrived, laughing about something with Wally. The two ordered a beer each, taking their drinks to one of the mid-room tables as they continued their conversation. Not long after, Zatanna slipped in the front door as well, animately talking with the woman behind her.

Who happened to be Artemis.

Kaldur has his gaze flickering back and forth between the two pairs, and as such noted the exact moment when the blonde and redhead noticed each other's presence. There was the recognition, followed by a _very_ brief appearance of pleasure, and then a deep hostility that had him tensing and wondering where he'd put that baseball bat. Tae Kwon Do didn't seem like it would quite be enough to deal with this situation.

Fortunately, Dick and Zatanna each followed their companion's gaze, blushed with a small smile when they met each other's eyes, and then paled as they realized what was likely to occur. Sure enough, Artemis stomped over to the boys' table, and immediately launched an angry query at Wally. He responded in kind, and within moments, both were engaged in an argument that attracted everyone's attention from all around the room.

"Um, Kaldur?" The server standing beside him asked nervously. "Sh-should we...?"

"I'll deal with this, Topo." Leaving behind the relative safety of his bar, Kaldur headed towards the fight, needing to slip around customers who'd stood up either to leave or see better. Breath coming a little quicker as the voices continued to grow louder, he reached the cleared area around the argument just as it resolved itself.

Artemis leaned forward, grabbed the front of Wally's shirt, and pulled him into a searing kiss. Immediately, the nervous murmurs in the room morphed into catcalls, Dick and Zatanna participating with large grins on their faces. By the time the kissers came up for air, each was also smiling. Relieved, Kaldur continued to approach, just catching the last thing Artemis said. "...Very sweet to come see if I was alright, even if it was totally unnecessary."

Wally chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he gestured to Kaldur. "You came blame this guy for that, actually. Utter misinformation." The bartender grinned at him.

"You are the one who ran off without thinking to use your phone, I believe." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, now that that's finally been settled, are we going to get down to a nice night of drinking or what?" Zatanna asked, making her presence known again. Artemis and Wally exchanged a look.

"I think... We might head out early, actually." The blonde said, curling her fingers around Wally's hand. He nodded in agreement, and the pair left in an excited hurry while their friends sighed in exasperation.

"On the plus side, Zee, you get to have Wally's beer."

"Sounds good to me." They settled down at the table, as people around the room returned to what they'd been doing before the drama broke out. Kaldur went back to sooth his nervous wait staff, oddly at ease after such a near-confrontation. About an hour later, both Dick and Zatanna left arm in arm, leaving him with just the usual crowd.

It was much closer to closing time when another familiar face entered the establishment.

"Heard you got to see some excitement earlier tonight." Raquel smirked as she slid onto a bar stool.

"I have no earthly idea how you and others have managed to stay friends with those two for so long."

"I'm not sure I could explain it. But, it should be noted that those two didn't use to be quite so bad - they've just gotten worse as the tension built as well as the denial. Now, I want a martini and a little time to ask you a few things."

"But of course." After fetching her drink, Kaldur settled down to lean against the bar and start talking with a woman he'd been coming to like more and more this week. "Ask away."

Raquel took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well, first order of business really is business: you guys rent out the back room for private parties, right?"

"Indeed we do. Cost runs a flat rate per hour no matter the size of the group, with drinks ordered for those within at half price."

"Very nice. Is it free tomorrow night?" It was, so the pair quickly made arrangements for Raquel and all of her friends that he'd met that week to have it to themselves for the evening. She went ahead and paid him the deposit, with the rest of the payment to come after the total cost was tallied.

"Thanks, Kaldur - I've been meaning to get the whole gang out for something together for a while now."

"You are very welcome, Raquel." They smiled at each other for a while, drinking in the sight of the other's pleased expression. Eventually, Kaldur was the first to break it, asking what else she wanted to ask him. Even with her dark skin, there was a noticeable flush that crept across Raquel's face.

"Ah, well, I was wondering if- you see, Amistad really enjoyed yesterday, and his fifth birthday is coming up soon, and he wanted me to see if you could come." Blinking at the odd request, Kaldur nonetheless found himself grinning as he agreed. The boy had been fun to play with, and he'd hate to disappoint a young man on his birthday. "Thanks. I know it's a little weird, but he doesn't have a- have too many friends. I'm hoping that will change once he starts kindergarten."

"It most likely will - he's a very likeable boy, after all."

"Yeah... Yeah, he is."

"So, was there anything else on your mind?" Raquel opened her mouth to reply, but closed it before speaking, shaking her head with a shy smile. "In that case, I hate to say it, but we close in a few minutes."

"Right! I'll just head out then." She jumped up and headed for the exit, pausing with her hand on the glass of the door. "See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here." He gave her a warm look, which Raquel returned before departing. As soon as she was gone, Kaldur sighed, wondering if the fluttering in his stomach meant he might be coming down with something.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

That Friday was much like any other, though Kaldur continually found his eyes darting to the door of the private room, and the group within. The friends all appeared to be having fun, occasionally toasting to the various couples seated around the long table. Jade and Roy were at one end, each with a non-alcoholic beverage as it seemed they would be responsible for making sure the others all got home at the end of the night. Zatanna was seated on Dick's lap, the dark strands of their hair mixing as she would bend to whisper something to the grinning man. Opposite them, Megan appeared content to lean against Connor as the two enjoyed their drinks and watched all the rest, both smiling contentedly. Artemis and Wally, on the other hand, seemed to be just as passionate as usual, sometimes bickering with their friends or one another, though Kaldur could see that they never stopped holding hands beneath the table.

The one he found himself looking to more often than the rest, though, was Raquel, who'd also managed to wind up in the chair that gave her a direct view out of the room and to where he was working at the bar. Their eyes met on several occasions, with one other the other smiling and quickly looking away again.

As he refilled drink orders through the night, Kaldur kept up his cheerful mood, glad that after the headache-inducing talks he'd had all week with members of the group, they'd all seemed to sort their relationships out into something positive. It made him feel good to have helped out.

As the night wound down, customers began to head out, including the group from the private room, many of them holding close to their significant other. Raquel, however, didn't move towards the door with them - she came straight to where Kaldur was wiping down the bartop.

"Have I thanked you for being such a wonderful person yet?" The woman asked him with a wide grin. "In less than eight days, you've managed to help solve what I've been putting up with for months."

Chuckling, Kaldur continued cleaning the polished wood. "Such thanks isn't necessary, but I appreciate the thought."

"Mm-hm. Now, I know you're probably exhausted after putting up with my friends' problems, but I've got one last piece of relationship advice to ask you before I quit."

"Raquel, I am fairly certain we both know you're not the quitting type." He arched his eyebrow at her, eliciting a subdued chuckle.

"True, but I swear, this is the last time I'll bring this up with you. Now, there's a guy I've been interested in for a while now: he's tall and handsome, kind of quiet, but really sweet once you draw him out of his shell..." As she described the object of her attentions, Kaldur felt his heart sinking. He had to sternly tell himself that Raquel was merely a customer, perhaps a friend, but certainly nothing more than that. "...But no matter what hints I drop, I think he's just completely oblivious."

"In that case, if you think it unlikely he's going to make the first move," Kaldur said slowly, trying to maintain his neutral expression, "May I suggest you do so instead?"

Nodding, Raquel agreed quietly. Then, she carefully leaned across the bar top, and pressed her lips against his. Kaldur was so stunned he took a few moments to respond, cautiously deepening the kiss. By that point, only her friends and his wait staff were left in the room, many of them whistling at the pair. When the two of them separated after a little bit, her eyes were dancing with an excited light that made his heart flutter rapidly.

"Kaldur Ahm, would you care to have dinner with me next Wednesday?"

"I would love to, Ms. Ervin."

 _A/N: And that is that! I hope you all enjoyed reading this little tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm planning on leaving off here, but if enough folks leave a review asking for an epilogue... Well, I'd hardly be able to refuse, would I?_

 _-Triscribe_


	7. Epilogue

_A/N: Daaang, this thing's gotten more reviews in the last 24 hours asking for an epilogue that it did in the week of posting actual chapters! So, I gave in and whipped this thing up for you guys - AthenaMonaLisa, Tanzaniteblue, Artemis Raven Courtney, and everyone else, thanks for all your kind words._

 _(But, ARC, did you really have to show me the word sequel? Because now I'm coming up with ideas for one... I'll let y'all know if they turn into anything!)_

The Epilogue

Tula was chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she stood before the nondescript condo door. It had taken her a couple of days to learn from the neighbors in the old apartment building where her former boyfriend had moved to, though why she bothered she couldn't have said. Taking a deep breath, she finally lifted a hand and knocked.

A few moments later, the door opened. Instead of the tall man she was expecting, though, there was a boy looking up at her who looked to be around ten years old. "Oh! I'm sorry, I thought this was Kaldur Ahm's residence..."

"It is - he's my stepdad." The boy answered her, head tilting a little to one side. "Do you want to see him?" Tula was too shocked to do anything other than nod, prompting the kid to retreat into the apartment, calling out _Dad! There's someone here to see you!_ As he left the door open, the woman cautiously stepped inside.

It... Was a family home, for certain. Bright shades of blue and green decorated the walls, while well-loved secondhand furniture was in abundance. A few small children's toys were scattered on the living room floor, where the boy had returned to doing homework on the coffee table in front of the small television set. Off to one side was a staircase to the second level, opposite of an open doorway to the kitchen.

She was only standing there in silence for a minute before Tula heard heavy footsteps descending the stairs. "I hope you at least showed them in, Amistad." Kaldur was saying even before he entered the room, a toddler resting on his hip. The little girl saw Tula first, squealing as she pointed to the woman's short red hair. Eyes swinging around, Kaldur spotted her as well and froze.

"...Hi, Kaldur."

"Tula." His voice was strained as he called his step-son over. "Take Tabitha upstairs and stay there until I or your mother come home, alright? I'm going out for a little while." Confused, Amistad nonetheless did as he was told. Once the children were gone, Kaldur moved towards the door, ushering Tula out of his home and asking why she'd come.

"I just... Wanted to see you. Apologize for, for how I left." The two of them walked down to the sidewalk at the street's edge. "Garth and I... We thought it would be a kindness to leave quickly, rather than draw the pain out for you."

"Yes, that worked _so_ well." Kaldur wasn't often one much for sarcasm, so hearing it from him now had her flinching. Immediately, his tone softened. "I was in pain for a long time, Tula. Surprisingly enough, I no longer bear you or Garth any ill will, if for no other reason than I now have an amazing wife and wonderful children. I would ask you not to do anything to interfere with that." And with that, he turned and went back inside, leaving her on the sidewalk in shock. Tula was still there ten minutes later when a cheerful looking woman came up to her.

"Nice looking place, isn't it?" She jerked in surprise, glancing at the newcomer.

"Er, yes, it is. Very lovely."

"Is there any reason in particular you're staring at my house, lady?"

Tula blinked as she realized who the woman must be. "Oh, um, I was-" She broke off with a sigh. "It, it doesn't matter any more. Tell Kaldur I'm sorry, for what it's worth." So saying, she quickly hurried off.

Raquel's gaze narrowed at the woman's abrupt departure, deciding she needed to head in and see if Kaldur had already spoken to her. Amistad and Tabitha were playing together on the living room floor when she came in the front door, the toddler giggling as her half-brother made funny faces.

"Mom!" He scrambled to his feet as she approached. "There was a lady here before, and she made Dad act really weird, and now he's up in your bedroom and told us not to bother him for a while. Is he okay?" The ten year old looked very anxious about his stepfather. Amistad had only been able to call Kaldur 'Dad' for the three years that he and Raquel had been married, but even before then the man had been the biggest and most important father figure in his life.

"I'm sure he will be, squirt. Keep your sister entertained for me, okay? And maybe save your homework before she eats it." Whirling around, Amistad let out an undignified squawk as his baby sister's drool covered hand reached for his math assignment.

"Tabby! Don't do that! Look, um, fishie!" Leaving her kids to their own devices with a smile, Raquel headed upstairs to the bedrooms. When she found Kaldur, though, the cheerful expression was wiped away.

The man had sat himself on the floor, leaning back against the bed, as he contemplated a bottle of wine in his hands.

Raquel didn't say a word. She just walked in and took a seat beside him. Eventually, Kaldur silently handed her the bottle, which Raquel tucked under the bed behind her. "She actually thought coming to apologize would help at this point." He mumbled a little while later.

"Guess so." Leaning over, the woman slipped an arm around her husband's waist. "What did you say to her?" Briefly, Kaldur explained, moving his own arms to hold Raquel close. Sometimes he still had trouble accepting that this beautiful woman was truly his to love, but the earlier encounter with his old flame had made Kaldur extremely grateful to be as lucky as he was.

"So, you came up here to mourn and potentially drink yourself away? Haven't you been giving relationship advice to people long enough to have a better idea than that?" She said with a teasing tone.

Kaldur arched an eyebrow at her, lips twitching into his familiar grin. "And what would you suggest, considering how long you've been listening to said advice, Mrs. Ahm?" Raquel tapped her chin in thought.

"I would recommend hiring a babysitter for the night for those wonderful kids of yours, then heading out to enjoy an evening with your amazing wife and awesome friends at the Secret Cave bar."

"That sounds like a good plan to me." With his then-finance's help, Kaldur had been able to move his full time job as a bartender to only working weekends, returning to school to finish earning his degree. Now, with Raquel's job at Ferris Space and Air and his own at the local fish hatcheries, the two had a decent income to furnish their household - but he still enjoying working at the Cave a few times a week, for old time's sake. As a plus, whenever he and the odd group of friends he'd gained (thanks to Raquel's arrival five years ago) came by as customers, his standing with the management got them a nice discount. "You call the Kents and Wests, I'll call the Harpers and Graysons."

"Have them drop the various munchkins off here, and we'll split the cost to get two or three babysitters." Kaldur smiled, pulled her into a kiss, then allowed his wife to go get her handbag and phone.

He was indeed a lucky man, all thanks to his hard-earned skills when it came to tending to a crowd.


	8. Antics of a Younger Crowd

Sequel is up.

...

Thought y'all might like t' know.

-Triscribe


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